Uninvited Guests

A prequel to "Fallen", which explains how Andy got where she did and what made her the way she is.

The story started on a warm summer night, when a newborn girl was left on the stairs of an orphanage. The aunties of the institution named her Amy, because everyone fell in love with her from the moment they laid eyes on her rosy cheeks and bright silvery eyes.

Growing up she was a quiet and calm child, learning fast and by the time of one year she was able to walk on her own. By the time she was two she could utter simple words. Everyone was surprised when she first said the name of her favorite auntie, Rose. Her small voice lulled over like a song of a siren.

“Oh my, such an angelic voice, my dear. When you grow up, I bet you will charm everyone with your beautiful songs,” Rose said that time picking the smiling girl up.

Soon after a married couple came by in hopes to find a child they could call their own. Some of the aunties thought it strange when they asked for a specific kind of child. They wanted a boy, not over two years old, healthy and already speaking.

“Why don't you walk around and look for yourself. Maybe you will find your sunshine among all of those beautiful souls,” said Rose while leading the pair to the game room.

“You see, we really want a son. We tried many times to have a child, but we can't due to health issues. So we decided to adopt one,” said the woman.

“Oh, I am sure, God will show you the right path to follow.”

Rose's smile was genuine and warm. The couple smiled back and turned to look over the room which was not very spacious. The woman walked around chatting up all the boys she saw. The man waited near the wall, occasionally looking at one or the other child in the room.

It seemed none of them interested the couple. Until Amy ran up to Rose and showed her a picture she had drawn.

“Rose,” she sang. “It's you,” smiling widely she gave the picture to Rose.

“Oh, it's wonderful, dear. Can I keep it?”

“Yes,” she cheered and ran off.

“A lovely child,” Rose said to the woman. “It is such a pity she was abandoned. I hope God will help her find warm and loving family.”

“How old is she?” asked the man.

“Oh, she just turned two. Amy developed faster than other kids, so we all think she is special. She is blessed.”

The man and the woman discussed on their own for a while, occasionally rising their voices or pointing at one of the children. Rose was playing with a group of older children, teaching them to write their names with a lot of colorful crayons. There was one more lady who was reading a story to some sleepy looking kids. Some of them were nearly asleep, so the lady put a blanket over them.

“Excuse me, could we talk to someone about adopting?”

“Well of course,” Rose beamed.

“Please, follow me to our head manager's office. She will be glad to meet you,” another lady answered.

The one who was reading the story asked Rose to watch over the kids and led the couple to the office. She knocked on the door and opened it. The head manager was sitting at her table looking over some papers.

“Oh, Margaret. And who might you be?”

“We're Daniel and Jessica Greeds and we would like to adopt one of your kids.”

“Well, then, please sit down and we will discuss the matter. I am the head manager, Sophie Lauren.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” Jessica said. And they both sat down.

“Like wise. So, do you have anyone in mind or would you like to look through the files?”

“Oh, we saw some of them in the game room. And we thought maybe the one named Amy?” Jessica talked unsure of herself.

“Ah, our little Godsend? Right, one moment, please...” she looked through the folders and took one out. “Here it is.”

The two of them looked at it and decided on the spot.

“We'd love to have her.”

“Yes, of course. I bet you, and Amy, need some time to get used to each other. So why don't we go back and you can play a bit with her.”

“Yes. It would be nice.”

The pair looked gentle and loving while playing with the little wonder. There seemed to be mutual connection. And everyone were relieved by the thought of Amy acquiring a family. They all wished for her happiness.

They left for the day in order to return with all the necessary documents for the adoption. Everything was looking perfect. Rose was the happiest of them all for her beloved finally found her loving family.

“Rose, who are they?” Amy asked.

“Darling, they will become your family. You will have a mommy and a daddy. Are you happy?”

“Mommy and daddy?”

“Yes.”

Rose unintentionally began crying. She loved the girl as her own, but she couldn't become her mom. Being an old unmarried woman, she wouldn't be able to afford a child at this point of her life.

The Greeds came back the next day and filled up all the forms and applications. By the noon they were done with everything and was able to finally go home with Amy. The girl was beaming her brightest smile and clutching on both of her new parents hands. She singed a little song of her own and skipped. Before leaving she gave the final hug to Rose and kissed her cheek. The auntie was smiling through tears.

The car drove away and Amy was heading to a whole new kind of life with a widest smile she could muster. She gazed through the window at moving trees and houses. Full streets and a lot of people were seen in the city and it made her little mouth open in awe. How many beautiful and interesting things she could see. Everything was so wonderful.

The house where the car stopped and Mrs. Greeds took her out of her baby chair was gorgeous. Creamy walls, a porch with flower pots and a rocking chair. The front yard had a tidy driveway and a green, trimmed lawn. Her eyes were sparkling as she walked towards the house holding a warm hand tightly.

It set off as a warm and loving story, but time passed and it became hard to watch. It seems, they chose Amy just because there were no boys at the requirements they wanted. All the boys were either older or couldn't speak or walk by themselves.

Right after Greeds took Amy, they changed the way they called her to more boyish, if not completely masculine name. They started calling her Anderson. It was Mr. Greeds grandfather's name, so they chose it.

They bought her toy cars and masculine clothes. Kept her hair cut short. Daniel brought her to football matches to watch. He said one day, Andy will play too.

Amy got used to it soon, because she was happy having mommy and daddy. It was not as though she realized what was happening. After all, she was only two years old.

Their treatment as strange as it was, still was one of a loving family. Despite the fact she was not a boy, they still loved her deeply.

On her fourth birthday she heard about a baby sibling coming to this world. Amy was overjoyed. She clapped her tiny hands and cheered. They were happy.

Little by little Greeds stopped buying her new toys and clothes. Now they spent all of their time and money to create a room for their soon coming babies. They knew they were having twins. Two boys. Jessica couldn't be happier when she heard this and when she saw the resonance pictures. Mr. Greeds called up everyone in their family and they had a small celebration at their house. While at that time, it seemed one little soul was forgotten...

She was happy watching her mommy and daddy be happy. She helped them by listening to every word they said. If they asked her to leave the room, she would. If they asked her not to whine, she would. If they asked her to leave them alone, she would. Because she knew, they love her and she loved them more than anything.

Time passed and the two brothers came to the house. The home was full of life and joy, to the eyes of a stranger. Mommy and daddy seemed to forget they had another child right beside them. The girl wanted to feel the warmth of her little siblings touch, the lightness of their smiles. Unfortunately, Amy was not allowed to come close to the babies, she might hurt them. But she would never do that, she thought.

As more time passed, her mommy and daddy seemed to be more and more preoccupied with her brothers. They would forget to make her food, bring her to kindergarten, they would never again play with her.

When she was ten, she realized that the love she felt was fading. Not from her heart, but from her parents'. And her brothers seemed to be mean to her. Every chance they had they would pull her short hair, push her, or call her names. But she never stopped loving them. She thought maybe that's how they express their love.

School for Amy was always fun. She liked studying and learning new things. Even if some children thought it strange that she behaved as a boy while being a girl. It was never sad. The school days were happy and full of light. She had couple of friends and that was enough for her.

She, along with her brothers, was brought to football team of the neighborhood. At that time she was twelve, while they were seven. And she was happy, daddy cared for her and let her play the sport she came to love. If not for the fact she was an only girl on the whole team. And she never made it to regulars. Even if she trained as hard as the boys. She was never acknowledged. And she couldn't understand why. She was the same as all of them.

“Andy, clean your room. After that, the kitchen and wipe the floor. We'll be leaving for the Christmas party, so you be good,” said Jessica while preparing for the party.

“Yes, mom.”

“Oh, please, don't call me that. Sounds weird.”

Amy was thirteen when this was said to her. It made her heart squeeze and she couldn't hide the shock from her face.

“What is it now? Go along.”

It was the first time when she wanted to cry. She never once cried in this house before, there was no reason �" they loved her... Or so she thought.

She felt as a stranger in her own home. That night she wanted to leave. She wanted to forget, to not see this house, not to feel the warmth it once gave her. That night she closed the door and ran. Ran as far as she could.

Her feet carried her to an abandoned old house, which was a lot bigger than the rest of the houses in the neighborhood in the suburb. To the girl it looked like a castle. She squeezed through the gates and wandered around for a bit. She would never go inside a house uninvited so she just walked around. The garden, now wilted and occupied by weeds, was once a beautiful place with red, white and blue roses, irises and other lovely flowers, she imagined.

At the back of the garden, she found a crooked shed. She thought she found her haven. She tried opening the door, but it was sealed and it was impossible for her. Then she walked around it, thinking maybe she could find a window of some sort. And she did. She found a hole in the wall, near the ground. Just for her to fit.

She sneaked inside and looked around. The dust was hurting her eyes and making her sneeze. After the dust set and she could see, she was pleased with what she saw. The shed had gardening tools on one side in the rack, on the other side there were toys and a bike, and skates hanging on a wall. Moonlight illuminated it all perfectly. It looked like magic.

Cold draft made her shiver and she turned to look for something to cover the hole. In a corner she found tiny door (it probably was from some doll house) fitting in the hole perfectly. Now it looked more like home...

She spent some time there creating stories for every toy she found in there. She smiled for the first time in long years. And then she cried. She cried her heart out. Cried loudly. Tears and snot burning her face, but she didn't stop. She cried until it didn't hurt. And then stopped. As if nothing ever happened.

She stayed there for a while longer and made couple of imaginary friends to talk to. She sang her own little songs which carried her vibrant voice far into the heavens.

Never before she doubted the genuine feelings of her parents and now everything she did lost its meaning. There was never something she wanted to do, but now, she thought for the first time, maybe she would like to sing. She imagined singing on a large stage in a dome full of people.

At that shed she began building her own little world and she felt happy. Now nothing could go wrong. Now she had her safe house, her own haven from all the negativity and pain.

She sat there for couple of hours before she felt cold. She walked back slowly humming a silent melody she thought of herself. The cold air tickled her fingers and nose, the breeze made her eyes water. She could hear rustling leaves on the ground since there was no snow this year. In a far away street she heard people talking and cheering and celebrating. She kicked a piece of rock in frustration. And kept kicking it as she walked turning it into a game to elevate her own mood.

The house was dark and cold. Only light was a blinking Christmas tree decoration. She saw nicely wrapped boxes under it, but she knew there was none for her this year, too. They stopped a long time ago. She takes too much money as it is, why should they spend more on her...

Angry as she was, she still cleaned everything she was told and went to bed with a sketch book. She drew the shed she found today and she smiled as she did so. The only comfort for her now was drawing and singing when no one was around. Her parents told her singing is for pansies and she's not one. She's Anderson and not Amy. She can't do things girls do. And for some reason they assumed singing was only for girls.

She fell asleep with the pencil in her fingers and neck uncomfortably crooked. So the morning was rough. She had to wake up early to make breakfast while others were enjoying their presents.

She made pancakes with strawberries and banana milkshakes for her family and some scrambled eggs for herself.

“Andy, come, look. Isn't it lovely?” asked Jessica while showing off the new dress.

Red silk looked light and soft. She had an urge to touch it. To see for herself if it was as soft as she imagined. But she stopped herself. She squeezed her fists and tried to smile.

“Yes, it's nice, Jessica.”

“Wait, what's with the “Jessica” stuff?” Daniel was surprised.

“Oh, don't mind it, dear. I just don't like Andy calling me mom. He's not mine, after all.”

Daniel looked perplexed, looking from his wife to a girl who looked nothing like girl. He was about to say something, but his son jumped in his lap and hugged him.

“Dad, look. An Xbox,” said Will.

“Can we play now?” asked Carter.

“After breakfast, you little devils,” Daniel ruffled both of their hair. “You should thank Santa for ignoring your pranks on Andy.”

Indeed... They had all the freedom to do whatever they wanted as long as nothing in the house was damaged. If it ended with bruises all over Amy's body no one cared. “They were just playing.” “Don't mind them.” “You should be more happy they like you so much.” If anything, they hated her. Looked down on her and wanted her to disappear.

The perfect family image was held only for the outsiders. Not even other family members knew about those kind of antics. They thought, Amy chose to look like a boy. Everyone said it's a phase, it will pass. She'll come around. But there was nothing to come around. They made her the way she is. She was not a boy, but they still picked her. They did. No one asked them to. And now, when she's in the way, they are trying to discard her. She's not a part of the family anymore. She's more like a servant for house chores. Would remind Cinderella, but it does not seem to head to her own happy ending.

After the winter holiday was over it was time to go back to school and to football practice. In the first week she failed two classes and couldn't make it to regulars, again. It was hard to focus in the house where you can't sit in quiet even for at least five minutes. It's either the mother or her brothers. She had no time to catch up. And the head aches were killing her. Sleeping for three hours a day was not a good idea. She fell asleep during evening practice...

“Loser. Loser.” Will and Carter would shout cheerfully. “Mom will scold you again.”

She would snap back, but then Daniel would give her hell for making her brothers cry. So she just bit her tongue and waited out the insults and threats.

“Why can't you be like a normal person, Anderson? Do we not give you enough? Do you want to drop out of school? Is it so hard to study properly?” Jessica had her voice raised.

“It is not hard, Jessica. I had a bad day-”

“Enough of your excuses. How many times have I told you to study properly or we won't let you go to football practice.”

“Oh, mom. He fell asleep during practice. Coach was furious.”

“And told him to clean up after us. Like, he told Andy not to come anymore if he continues doing stuff like this.”

“Anderson, what did you do now? We're paying money for you to sleep in practice? Are you taking our generosity as a joke?”

“I am sorry. This will not happen again, Mrs. Greeds. I will study properly. And I will not go to football practice anymore. I will not be a burden to you.”

Jessica dropped her jaw and had her eyes wide open. She clutched a hand above her heart and gasped loudly. She couldn't find the right words to retort to this.

At that time Daniel came home. Seeing this scene he got the wrong picture and grasped Amy's arm.

“What did you do, you ungrateful child?”

The pain from yanked arm soared through her whole body and made her cower.

“What is wrong with you? Why can't you be normal? Did we not do enough for you? Answer me,” his assumptions pierced her heart deeper than anything before.

“I-” her voice cracked and she tried not to cry.

Only then Mr. Greeds let go of her arm and stepped back. The two boys were snickering behind their mother. And Mrs. Greeds looked cold and hostile.

“I am sorry,” she whispered and left the house.

She ran to her haven. She slipped through the little door and pushed them closed after. She squeezed herself into the corner and cried. The old abandoned things gained forms of their owners and all consoled her. Their warmth was pleasant, reassuring. Their tiny voices helped her calm down and she smiled thanking them for their kindness.

At those kind of moments she couldn't help but remember the kindhearted aunties at the orphanage. Auntie Rose's face was so clear and so loving. The everlasting smile, pink cheeks and warm eyes enveloped her shivering figure and she longed for those days at the orphanage to return. The loving family was there. At the institution. Not here.

As she promised, she stopped going to football practice. She started getting better marks. She stopped trying to make them understand. If possible, she tried not to stay alone with her brothers. With those little demon spawns. Day by day their aggression progressed. And she feared leaving her room. She started secluding herself in her haven more and more which resulted in Jessica being angry about her abandoning house chores. At this point she started to ignore all of Mrs. Greeds complaints. They did nothing for her, she will do nothing for them.

Spring was on its way, but the conflicts between Amy and her foster family continued. And they got even more wild and problematic. They threatened to kick her out of the house, to send her to juvenile correction facilities and so on. They never did any of those, because they had an image to uphold.

Today was another one of those kinds of fights. Again, it involved those little demons. And Jessica screaming at her with nothing to base her accusations.

This time she slammed the door and ran. Her destination was clear and she ran there with no looking back. She would be glad if they sent her away. She would escape on her own, but she was too scared to leave. She wanted to belong somewhere. Even if the attachment was not for the people living in the house anymore, but the house on its own.

She was trying to calm down when she heard Will and Carter outside the shed. She froze in spot and waited. They were always the ones to surprise her. And this time she imagined them trespassing to her territory. She wanted them to leave...

“Did you see her?”

“I think she went this way.”

Her heart was pounding. She didn't want them to find her. She held her breath and then the air around her and the shed felt stagnant and quiet. She was sure she had seen the doorknob turn. And the little door was torn off the hole that separated that world from her world.

A dark haired boy crawled in. She crouched in the corner imagining him just leaving. Then the second one appeared and she had to run. The two of them meant disaster. She stood up, but they blocked her way.

One of them, Will, had a dark plastic bottle, reminded of the ones they use for barbecue to ignite more fire. And Carter was holding a lighter.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Eyes wide open made it water and blur the sight. At this point she understood not touching them will end up in her being hurt. So she shoved them away from the hole and tried to leave. She felt dampness spreading through her back and legs.

She slipped out and stood up. Another wet splosh dampened her hair. She ran. Strong muscles contracting and relaxing. Strong legs carrying her far from the demons she couldn't believe could exist in this world. She would have been able to escape if not the closed gate of the old mansion. Her jumper got caught by the barb and she fell. In panic she saw them both getting closer. They were boys after all.

The next moment scalding fire engulfed her. Her screams could be heard through the whole neighborhood. In pain and panic she stood up and ran. Falling to the ground and writhing in pain. Thick smell of burning flesh and hair filled her nostrils making her gag. The flames swallowed her head, stomach and legs. She knew she should not scream or breathe, but the pain was too intense not to. It seemed like her insides were on fire too.

Two devils were standing near and watching her lose her sanity slowly.

“You only cause trouble for mom and dad.”

“We hate you.”

“So we don't need you.”

“You better die.”

“Mom and dad hate you too.”

“They don't want you anymore.”

“No one needs you.”

Right before she lost consciousness, a man from the neighboring house ran over with a water hose and put out the rampant fire.

***

Waking up from hellish nightmare made it a living hell. Imagine the pain when you drink just made coffee. The tongue goes numb, but you can still feel the scalding of the hot substance right there. I felt like that. My whole body like an incinerator. I wanted to close my eyes and never open them again. Then the calming and cool feeling washed over me and I felt better.

It was an unfamiliar white room. I couldn't move nor speak. I couldn't ask for help. I didn't even know who I was. As if I didn't exist before this moment.

Then a young woman in white came in and went out right after. A little later a couple with two boys showed up. Their faces screamed guilt, regret and misery. Except the two boys. They showed no emotion, just apathy.

“Anderson, how do you feel?” asked the man.

Was it me? My name was Anderson? Oh, so I should answer. But my voice never came out however hard I tried to speak.

“It's from the shock,” the woman said.

“Sorry to tell you, but it's because her vocal chords were damaged by the fire. It seems she was screaming.”

Fire? The heat rose again and swallowed me wrapping its prickly essence around me. Those people looked strange, unfamiliar. All that was left for me to assume they were my family.

Days came and went, and the hospital became like home to me. Moving felt torturous and seeing those faces felt like betrayal. I couldn't remember them at all. I wanted to apologize, but the voice wouldn't come out. Later on I heard it was permanent, just like the scars engraved onto my body.

One day when they came on their weekly visit, it slipped for the woman, Jessica, I was not their daughter, but son.

“Jessica, what are you saying. Anderson isn't even ours. He's adopted.”

It was enough to trigger something inside my head for it to cause the memories of my past rushing back in an avalanche. It hurt like some rock weighing on my head. My eyes watered and a lump formed inside my throat.

I took my sketch book by the bed and with shaking hands wrote in big letters “LEAVE”.

This life of mine had nothing nice. The family which I thought will give me love made me hate this world. The dreams I had to one day sing were shattered by the hands of children, supposedly innocent beings. The mind and body of a girl lost its true identity and was bound to continue living as a boy, even after discarding this family.

I left that family to live on my own. I got a bit of support from the state to manage somehow. After managing to live without medication I finished school in perfect marks, regarding some of the times where I would black out in the middle of the exam. I've never seen them again, but they paid the tuition for the university I chose. I just had to manage on my own for food and other necessities.

“And the rest you know, so stop asking. Here, look, a gap opened...” 

Author's Note

I'd be happy to get a review on this in addition to the original story of "Fallen".